to divine

JLPT N5 5 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Usage of (zhàn)

The character is versatile and commonly used in two main senses: to occupy or take up space/portion, and to divine or predict the future.

Common Meanings

  • To occupy or constitute a part of something, such as market share, percentage, or space.
  • To divine or forecast, often used with words related to fortune-telling like 占卜 (zhānbǔ).

Typical Collocations

  • 占据 (zhànjù): to occupy (territory, market share)
  • 占有 (zhànyǒu): to possess or hold
  • 占卜 (zhānbǔ): to divine or tell fortunes

Usage Notes

When used to mean "occupy," often appears in contexts involving proportions or physical space. It is a neutral, formal verb.

When used in the context of divination, is often paired with (bǔ) to form 占卜, meaning to divine or predict. This usage is more specialized and appears in contexts related to fortune-telling or supernatural prediction.

Common Confusion

Don't confuse with 占领 (zhànlǐng), which specifically means "to occupy" in a military or forceful sense. alone is more general and can be used for abstract or physical occupying.

Summary

Understanding the context is key to using correctly. It can describe taking up space or proportion, or the act of divination. Its collocations help clarify which meaning is intended.

Example Sentences

This company occupies most of the market share.

He likes to use tarot cards to divine the future.

This question accounts for 20% of the total exam score.